Police hail bravery of Hall’s sex victims

The 83-year-old former It’s A Knockout presenter was told he faced a possible prison sentence after admitting indecently assaulting 13 girls, the youngest aged just nine.

It emerged yesterday many of his victims only came forward to police after he was arrested and charged in December over three assaults, despite his protests of innocence.

Hall, a regular on the nation’s airwaves for the last 50 years, was subsequently charged with abusing ten more girls and the rape of a 22-year-old woman between 1968 and 1986. The rape charge, which Hall denied, was allowed to lie on file.

A poll released yesterday found that three quarters of the public believe rape suspects should not be named until they are convicted.

The survey carried out by ComRes on behalf of the Independent found there was strong public support for those accused of sex assaults to have their identity protected.

Under current legislation, people who complain they have been the victims of sexual offences automatically receive anonymity, but suspects do not.

Bob Satchwell of the Society of Editors said: “With the recent upsurge of calls for offenders to remain anonymous until convicted, it is worth noting that if Stuart Hall had not been named when he was arrested he might never have been brought to court. None of his victims knew one another.

“There is a huge danger of secret justice replacing rights of the public, and indeed defendants, back to Magna Carta. It is time someone put a stop to this frightening trend.”

The main argument for preventing the identity of sex offence suspects being published is the belief that innocent people will have their name tarnished.

But in March, the Crown Prosecution Service released a report showing false allegations of rape and domestic violence are more rare than previously thought.

The full extent of Stuart Hall’s crimes were revealed yesterday after reporting restrictions were lifted, with his solicitor admitting in court that his “disgrace was complete”.

Following his arrest on December 5 and when he was charged later with three counts of indecent assault, Hall used the media to protest his innocence.

Det Chief Insp Neil Esseen, of Lancashire Police paid tribute to Hall’s victims for their bravery.

He said: “The admissions of Mr Hall will at least spare his victims the ordeal of having to recount their abuse at a trial.

“They have lived with what happened for a long period of time and it cannot have been easy for them to come forward.”